Hiding Out At The Circle C

shuddered as she began to realize the implications. No wonder someone was willing to kill for the system. It would be worth untold millions. And she was the only one who could make it work.

* * *

She had turned her pager back on immediately after reading the newspaper report, so Haley wasn't surprised when it went off the next morning. It was from her flat in South America, presumably from Alda.

'Wherever you are, you must get back here. Things have changed. Come to the park where we used to lunch. Noon, one week. Be there, Haley. It's life or death.'

Chapter 6

That night, Haley stood in the center of the kitchen, despairing of ever managing to pull together something edible. Then her white knight entered in the form of Nellie, toting a large, foil-lined bag that smelled heavenly.

'It's fried chicken,' she said, smiling apologetically. 'I hope you didn't already start something, because I couldn't resist.'

'Are you kidding? I could kiss you,' Haley told her, meaning every word. 'I had no idea what I was going to make.'

'You would have come up with something,' Nellie said confidently. 'That lasagna last night was terrific.'

Even Haley had to agree, it had been pretty terrific. And surprisingly easy. Noodles, cheese, sauce. Noodles, cheese, sauce. Formulas again. Good thing she was so good at that. She reached for the bag of chicken. 'Your neighbor called. He said it's beef time again. He wanted your order.'

'Great I'll call him later. Anything special you want me to buy?'

'Wait a minute.' Haley stopped in the act of opening the foil. 'You run a ranch with cows on it-and you buy your beef?'

'That's right.' Nellie grabbed a wing and sniffed appreciatively, sighing a little. She bit into the chicken without getting a plate, moaning with obvious pleasure, and then quickly took another bite. 'We buy our pork and chicken, too.' She picked up a drumstick with her other hand and laughed. 'See?'

'But you have both right here on the ranch,' Haley said, watching Nellie stuff her face indelicately. 'I've seen them.'

Nellie finished off the wing and laughed again, holding her belly with one hand, the drumstick with the other. 'You're catching on to the Reeves way.'

'I don't get it.'

'The ranch makes money only on the horses. Cam's rule.'

Strangely touched, Haley sat down and looked at Nellie. 'Let me get this straight. You have all these animals, but you don't use them for meat?'

'Cam won't let us kill anything. We bought the pigs and chickens… oh, at least two years ago now, and he named every one of them. Jason told him that was his first mistake, but Cam held firm.'

Haley didn't want to think about why that brought a smile to her face and made her feel… mushy.

'The piglets we get each year think Cam's their daddy. Before we sell them, they follow him around the pen faithfully. You should see it.'

Haley tried to picture that; the big, tall, rangy Cam, leading the baby pigs around like a mama duck. Sadness speared her when she realized she'd probably never see that. She'd be gone in a few days. She had to make a move, had to face this thing. She'd go first to the USGS, then to South America, hopefully with an escort, and hopefully as a witness, not as a suspect. But it had to be done.

Alda had to be stopped.

Nellie stuffed her mouth again. 'The foals eat right from his hand.' She grabbed a biscuit, split it open and slathered butter all over it.

'Would you sit?' Haley demanded, with a small laugh, forcing the ache away. 'And use a plate-you're making crumbs everywhere.'

Nellie did, then smiled apologetically. 'I'm starved.'

'What's new?' Haley smiled, too. What they said about expectant mothers seemed to be true; Nellie positively glowed. 'You're feeling as good as you look?'

'Yep.' She proudly patted the baby. 'Doctor says everyone's doing great. Even poor Jas, who turns green whenever the doctor discusses childbirth.' She took a sip from her water and gave a huge sigh, absently rubbing her tummy in a gesture Haley thought sweetly maternal. She wondered if all pregnant women did that-held their babies before they were even born. She tried to picture her own mother pregnant, caressing Haley in her swollen stomach, and couldn't.

'Have you seen the guys?' Nellie asked. 'Let's call them in before I eat all the food by myself.'

'Zach's studying. Jason's chopping wood and-'

'Oh, God- Chopping wood?' Nellie groaned, then stood awkwardly. 'We've got to stop him. He'll cut something off, for sure.'

'He'll… what?'

Nellie's smile was fond and full of such love that Haley felt an unexpected pang of envy. 'He's a wonderful man. They all are. Beautiful inside and out. But my Jas, he's not too careful. He tends to break things. Like his own bones.'

'Oh, no.' Haley stood. She remembered that first night when Cam and Nellie had told her about Jason falling off the roof, how she hadn't wanted to believe it could be true.

'What did you say Cam's doing?' Nellie asked. 'Maybe I can get him to take over and save us all a trip to the hospital.'

'Oh, he's working real hard,' Haley said, tongue firmly in cheek. 'You should see him.' She tossed her head toward the window where Cam could be seen in the yard, lying still in a hammock that swung gently between two large pines. Beneath the hat that covered his face, his sun-streaked hair lifted in the breeze. His hands lay lightly clasped, low on his belly. Even now, Haley could remember exactly how flat that beautiful stomach was beneath his shirt, how strong and long his legs were, and it had her jerking away from the window.

'Poor baby,' Nellie said, looking at Cam. 'He's exhausted. Must have worked all night. But mm-hmm, he does look fine, doesn't he?'

She'd choke before admitting it. 'I don't know what you mean,' Haley said primly, fussing with the chicken.

Which only made Nellie grin. 'Sure you do, honey. You're a woman, aren't you?' Her smile faded some as Haley sniffed indifferently. 'You don't like him much, do you?'

Haley shrugged. How, oh how, had she gotten herself into this conversation? She felt like she was in high school, only she'd never been in a regular school, with regular friends who would have teased her about the male species. She was in foreign territory without a map and she felt at a total loss.

Nellie was still looking at her, worried. 'Has he… done something to offend you?'

'No, nothing like that,' Haley said quickly. She looked at Cam again, sleeping so peacefully in the sun, like he didn't have a care in the world. Something inside her ached. 'He wouldn't.'

Nellie's gaze followed Haley's. 'No, you're right, he wouldn't. At least, not on purpose. Cam's the nicest, most gentle, caring man I know,' she said faithfully. 'And the most easygoing, laid-back-' She broke off at the look on Haley's face. 'That's it, isn't it? He's out there sleeping the day away and it bothers you.'

She hated to admit it was true. 'It just seems so… leisurely,' Haley finished lamely. 'I'm sorry. I have no right to say something like that.' She sank back into a chair. 'Can we just forget it? And go rescue Jason, maybe?'

Nellie looked at her, her disappointment obvious. 'Yes, of course.' She started to move away, then hesitated. 'You know, Haley, I've seen you work. I know how seriously you take things, how hard you try, and how much effort you put into each thing you do. You're a planner, I'd guess.' She smiled. 'It's wonderful, really. Those are traits I